APRIL TOP TIP

With spring on the way it’s time to attack the garden outside to ensure that everything is up and running ready for a beautiful summer. Spring flowering shrubs such as Japanese quince and viburnum plants are coming into flower. Shrubs, lawns and the vegetable areas need attention and you need to keep an eye on weed growth to ensure your hard work isn’t all in vain.

LAWN CARE

As soon as warm weather strikes then lawns grasses and weeds will start to grow strongly, meaning that grass cutting will become a regular necessity. The more you mow, the less nutrients the grass has to absorb to keep it growing strongly and it may soon turn pale as nutrients at soil level are depleted.

TOP TIP! Use edging shears after each mowing to keep the edge of the lawn looking really sharp.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

April is the month when it’s all systems go and sowing seeds is at its peak. If March was colder than average you can always catch up with sowing of parnips, peas, onions, summer cabbages and cauliflower as soon as possible. Later in the month you can sow seeds of leeks, Brussels sprouts and autumn cabbage in short rows in a seedbed ready for transplanting to their final position later.

TOP TIP: Strawberries will now start to flower ready for a May crop and the open flowers will need protecting against hard frosts with layers of newspaper when severe cold weather is forecast

FLOWER BORDERS

If you have a fair space to fill in your flower border, don’t forget this can be done economically with one or two packets of mixed hardy annual seeds. Sown in soil that has been improved with a soil conditioner or Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro, you will soon see a plethora of tiny seedlings emerge. Hardy annuals include many cottage garden plants including annual lavatera, cornflower, Californian poppy, coreopsis, clarkia, love-in-a-mist, tiny viola and linaria. Together they will make a great summer display that is easy to grow.

TOP TIP! Why not try the new Miracle-Gro product – Flower Magic. Grow beautiful summer flowers from seed, guaranteed, without effort or experience. Just sprinkle, water and enjoy!